Don’t indulge in cheap politics, Dharamsot tells SAD leaders

JALANDHAR: Having distributed 11 cheques for Rs 5 lakh each today to family members of the deceased who lost their lives in the train accident in Amritsar on Dasehra, Cabinet Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot while expressing grief said: “The state government is deeply saddened over the demise of several innocent lives in Amritsar and the government will do anything to help those who lost everything in the tragic incident that shook the entire nation.”

Ajay Joshi

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, October 23

Having distributed 11 cheques for Rs 5 lakh each today to family members of the deceased who lost their lives in the train accident in Amritsar on Dasehra, Cabinet Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot while expressing grief said: “The state government is deeply saddened over the demise of several innocent lives in Amritsar and the government will do anything to help those who lost everything in the tragic incident that shook the entire nation.”

Reverting to SAD leader Sukhbir Singh Badal’s demand of sacking Navjot Kaur Sidhu, he said instead of engaging in cheap politics, leaders of the SAD should come forward to help the victims of the train tragedy. Talking to The Tribune at his adviser Yashpal Singh Dhiman’s resident, he said the Congress government in the state was the only government that visited the victims on the first day of the accident and so far, it had distributed 32 cheques of Rs 5 lakh each among the kin of the deceased and more cheques would be given once the varification of people who died in the accident was completed.

Moreover, a three-member committee has been formed under the Divisional Commissioner to probe the incident. Besides Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, Ministers Brahm Mohindra and Sukhwinder Singh Sarkaria are the members of the committee.

The committee would make sure that the inquiry reports were submitted shortly and action would be taken against the guilty.

Dharamsot said the Central Government should also come forward to help the survivors of the incident.

A government job and Rs 10 lakh each should be given to the family of those who lost their bread winners. Besides, on the distribution of Post-Matric Scholarships among Scheduled Caste students studying in various schools and colleges of the state, he said the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) government in the three financial years (2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17) had done nothing under the scheme, hence, the Captain Amarinder Singh-led state government was taking initiative in this regard and the amount of the academic year 2015-16 has been dispatched to the departments concerned and the rest of the amount would be transferred shortly, the minister added.